1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible board connector, and particularly to a compact flexible board connector for retaining a flexible circuit board in electrical connection with the terminals thereof.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,506 discloses a prior art flexible board connector (see FIG. 11) having an elongated pressure member 147 attached to a housing 160 and a plurality of contact elements 135 received in the housing 160. The pressure member 147 is adapted to rotate around a turning center 145 of a fulcrum portion 137 of the contact element 135 from a closed position to an open position. A pressure edge 152 is provided on the pressure member 147. When the pressure member 147 is in the closed position, the pressure edge 152 is inside a line including the turning center 145 and a contact portion 140 of the contact element 135 and presses a flexible circuit board F (shown in phantom) against the contact portion 140. When the pressure member 147 is in the open position, the pressure edge 152 is outside the line and the flexible circuit board F is ready to be extracted. The pressure member 147 is designed to self-retain in the closed position and to apply enough torque to constrain the flexible circuit board. The flexible board connector therefore, requires enough space for the elongated pressure member 147 to rotate therein. What is more, the length of the pressure member 147 must be long enough for operation and retention purposes. The contact elements 135 further require link portions 138 and connection portions 139 for connecting to a printed circuit board (not shown). Thus, further minimization of the width of the connector is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,131 describes another prior art connector (see FIG. 12) with conductor retention means. The connector has a retaining element which includes a projecting part 213 and a counter element 216. The projecting part 213 defines a toothed surface 214 on a top end thereof for cooperating with a friction surface 215 on the counter element 216 to fix a flexible circuit board 210 therebetween, whereby the flexible circuit board 210 makes electrical contact with contact surfaces 225, 226 of a plurality of terminals 220. The retaining element further provides a spindle 211 coupled to a lever 217 for swiveling the projecting part 213. The spindle 211 then rotates in a clockwise direction to swivel the projection part 213 from a position of pressing against the flexible circuit board 210 to a position where the upper contact surface 225 of the terminal 220 is lifted by a protrusion surface 219 of the projecting part 213 to release the flexible circuit board 210. The toothed surface 214 must be precisely manufactured to securely press on the flexible circuit board 210 without scraping circuit traces on the flexible circuit board 210. Production cost of the connector is consequently high.
Other prior art connectors are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83102251, 83112042, and 86203032.
An improved flexible board connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.